This year — 2014 — has been a noteworthy one for Chain | Cohn | Stiles. Besides helping hundreds of injured victims get their lives back in order, the Bakersfield personal injury law firm this year was named “Best Law Firm” in Bakersfield.

The law firm in 2014 also commemorated its 80-year anniversary of serving the people of Kern County, San Joaquin Valley and throughout California.

Recently, The Bakersfield Californian‘s Eye Street lifestyle section featured an article on the law firm’s history, its founder Morris Chain, the staff and attorneys who have served under the Chain name, and on the firm’s longtime standing in downtown Bakersfield.

The article states:

When Morris B. Chain left the University of Southern California in 1934, law degree in hand, the fresh-faced lawyer didn’t find many help-wanted signs in Depression-era Bakersfield. So he made his own opportunity.

Opening a practice in the Haberfelde Building downtown, the Russian emigre, who grew up in Bakersfield, began laying the foundation for what would become one of the most prominent and longstanding law firms in the valley.

And now, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the practice’s founding, the film is on the move again. In 2015, the seven attorneys at what is now called Chain Cohn Stiles will set up shop in a newly purchased, 30,000-square-foot historical building at 18th Street and Chester Avenue, occupied most recently by the Goodwill Industries of South Central California.

The view from the east-facing building: The Haberfelde Building, where Chain started it all.

“The greatest compliment you can get is from the little guy you do a lot of work for and who comes up and says thanks, you did a hell of a job,” Chain told The Californian in 1976.

The article continues to describe how Morris Chain started the firm, how the firm promoted diversity in the workplace, its movement throughout downtown Bakersfield offices, and the attorneys through the history of the firm. The article also featured several historical photos of the attorneys and staff.

The article continues:

At its largest stage, the Chain law firm had 18 attorneys and offered a multitude of legal services, including family law and criminal defense. Today, the firm focuses only on personal injury and workers’ compensation cases.

In 1990, it moved from its headquarters on Truxtun Avenue and M Street into the Bank of America building on Truxtun and Chester. The name was changed to Chain, Cohn, Stiles in 2009, and the practice now employs seven attorneys: David Cohn, managing partner, who has been with the firm 40 years; partner David Stiles, with the firm 37 years; partner James Yoro, with the firm 32 years; partner Matt Clark, who joined in 2006; and associates Marshall Frasher, Chad Boyles and Neil Gehlawat. Nicole Jaramillo will join Chain Cohn Stiles in 2015.

Through the years, it was important to keep the Chain name on the firm’s masthead as a symbol to local civic and community effort, Cohn said.

“The name takes us back to our roots. Morris Chain’s mission to stand up for the little guy is what founded this firm, and influences everything we do 80 years later, even those of us coming after him. It’s the guiding principal of everything we do.”

Recently, The Bakersfield Californian highlighted the continuing evolution of Bakersfield’s commercial and historical core, and the hopeful signs with investment suddenly pouring into the intersection of Chester Avenue and 18th Street in downtown Bakersfield.

The article included the news that Bakersfield personal injury law firm Chain | Cohn | Stiles completed its purchase of the two-story space at the intersection.

Since 1870, the southwest corner of 18th Street and Chester Avenue in downtown Bakersfield has been home to vital businesses.

It was the site of the first Kern Valley Bank until it closed in 1911, and would remain home to several other banks in the century that followed including National Bank, Crocker-Anglo Bank, and most currently Wells Fargo and Washington Mutual.

Goodwill Industries took over the 30,000 square-foot building in the 2000s until it moved out three years ago. The building has been empty since – until now.

Chain Cohn Stiles, the longtime Bakersfield-based personal injury law firm, will soon call the two-story building at 1731 Chester Avenue home after purchasing it in October.

Chain Cohn Stiles plans to occupy the ground floor and lease out the upper level, and possibly basement space, after it completes improvements to the building. The purchase includes a small parking lot to the west, on Eye Street. The firm also expects to install parking at an east-west alleyway south of the building for clients, many of whom have been disabled by some kind of injury.

Historically speaking, the purchase couldn’t have come at a better time – the law firm is commemorating 80 years in Bakersfield this year. Through that time, the law firm has served clients in downtown Bakersfield, a central location that’s also near Kern County’s courtrooms. For the past several decades, Chain Cohn Stiles has occupied space in the nearby Bank of America building.

Along with other nearby development, The Bakersfield Californian recently called the law firm’s purchase of the building “a hopeful sign for the continuing evolution of Bakersfield’s commercial and historical core.” The partners at Chain Cohn Stiles agree.

“We like to think that, in some small part, we’re going to contribute to the ongoing revitalization of downtown Bakersfield,” said Matt Clark, partner at Chain Cohn Stiles.

Around the holidays in 2002, Richard Hernandez was heating the oil in his Brinkmann turkey fryer he bought from Walmart when it combusted, shooting bright red flames three feet into the air.

“The best way I can explain it is, it was an eruption like out of a volcano,” Hernandez told The Bakersfield Californian in 2004. “It just shot straight up in the air.”

Hernandez then sprayed the fire with an extinguisher, but it only fed the flames. He decided to carry the flaming pot away from the house, but the pot started to implode. The flaming hot oil burned Hernandez’s arms, legs and face.

A year after Hernandez’ incident, Steven Pendergrass, a Kern County Fire Department engineer and former paramedic was frying a turkey using a Brinkmann fryer on Christmas Day. When moisture in the turkey caused oil to boil out of the pot and catch fire, Pendergrass tried to push the pot away from his house, it tipped, spilling oil onto the ground. Pendergrass slipped and fell onto the oil, burning his arms, ankles, back and face.

The lawsuits led companies to make changes in the design of the turkey fryers, including adding more legs to make them steadier and prevent tipping, adding automatic turn-off valves if the oil becomes too hot, and other safety fixes.

Still, burn injuries continue all too often with propane-fueled turkey fryers. In fact, more than 4,000 fires occur annually around Thanksgiving alone as people deep fry turkeys, bake pies and cook other foods, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.

With the holidays around the corner, the Bakersfield personal injury lawyers at Chain | Cohn | Stiles, are reminding people about the dangers of turkey fryers, with tips provided by the Bakersfield and Kern County Fire Departments.

Turkey fryers should always be used outdoors at a safe distance from structures.

Never use fryers under patio covers, on wooden decks or in garages.

Use fryers on flat surfaces to reduce the possibility of accidental tipping.

Never leave the fryer unattended.

Keep children and pets away from the fryer at all times.

Do not overfill the fryer. This may result in a “spill-over” of hot oil.

Safety goggles and potholders or oven mitts should be used when utilizing the fryer.

Turkey must be completely thawed to avoid oil splattering and “boil-over.”

Turkey should be free of loose ice and water to avoid oil splattering and “boil-over.”

Choose a smaller turkey (10 to 12 pounds) to fry to reduce the potential for accidents.

Never use water to extinguish a grease fire; use an all-purpose fire extinguisher.

And if you are injured or burned throughout the holidays, call Chain | Cohn | Stiles at 661-323-4000, or visit the website Chainlaw.com for more information on the following:

For several years, Adam Rendon worked at Bakersfield’s Best Pawn on Chester Avenue. There, he was subjected to derogatory remarks from his supervisors and coworkers.

At one point, when he ignored the comments, his coworker pointed a gun at him and pulled back the hammer. The gun was unloaded. On another occasion, his colleague told him, “I don’t like me no queers,” and then fired a nail gun on concrete to make a loud “bang.” Rendon, believing that Jimenez had fired an actual gun, experienced heart palpitations and shortness of breath and was admitted to an emergency room at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital.

Then, in June 2011, Rendon published a book that detailed his difficult upbringing and revealed he was gay. From that point, he was continuously subjected to severe and pervasive harassment from his coworkers because of his sexual orientation that included employees firing guns at a picture of Rendon attached to a wall at the back of the store.

“The bottom line is that everyone is entitled to work in an environment free of hostility and discrimination,” said Chain | Cohn | Stiles lawyer Neil Gehlawat. “Unfortunately for Adam, he was denied this basic right. After self-publishing his book about his difficult upbringing, in which he disclosed his sexual orientation, he was subjected to an array of homophobic remarks, slurs, and even violence by his co-workers. And to make matters worse, when he complained about this behavior to the owner of the store, he was subjected to even more hostility, retaliation, and was ultimately terminated.

Gehlawat continued: “By filing this lawsuit, Adam wants to send a message to Bakersfield’s Best Pawn, and to all employers, that every employee deserves to work in a hostile-free environment, regardless of their age, race, gender, or in his case, sexual orientation.”

Rendon, with the assistance of Chain | Cohn | Stiles, is seeking compensatory damages from Bakersfield’s Best Pawn including lost wages, bonuses and retirement benefits as well as general damages for mental pain, anguish and emotional distress. The lawsuit also demands punitive damages to punish the pawn shop’s owner and employees who either engaged in the harassment or didn’t do anything to stop it.

As has been highlighted in local media reports this past week, the law firm is proud to be part of a continued revitalization of historical downtown Bakersfield.

This weekend, The Bakersfield Californian featured an article on the front page of Sunday’s newspaper discussing the “continuing evolution of Bakersfield’s commercial and historical core,” in particular the investment pouring into the intersection of Chester Avenue and 18th Street.

The four buildings on the intersection are in the process of being occupied, or increasing efforts to have them occupied in the near future, The Californian reported.

“Taken together, these and other changes at the intersection could signal a return to basics for an area trying to reinvent itself to bring more people back to downtown,” according to The Californian.

CCS attorney and partner Matt Clark told The Californian he optimistic and the future of the area, and is part of the reason the firm purchased the 33,000-square-foot building and a small parking lot to the west of the building. The firm will also install parking in the alleyway south of the building for clients, many of whom have been disabled by some kind of injury. The article reads:

Matt Clark, a partner at the firm that has existed downtown for its entire 80-year history, said leaving the area was never a serious option, considering its central location and proximity to courthouses.

But another factor in the decision to vacate the nearby Bank of America building was a perception that downtown is “on a real upswing,” Clark said.

“We like to think that, in some small part, we’re going to contribute to the ongoing revitalization of downtown Bakersfield,” he said.

Chain | Cohn | Stiles has been part of downtown Bakersfield for its entire 80-year history. The southwest corner of the intersection where CCS’ new home will next sit has been home to other historical buildings. The Kern Valley Bank was established in 1874 on the grounds as the first bank incorporated in Kern County. Goodwill Industries pulled out of the building three years ago.

Chain | Cohn | Stiles will occupy the ground floor and lease out the upper level after it completes improvements to the building’s interior and exterior. For CCS clients, the new location will include better parking and more office space, while still remaining easily accessible in the heart of downtown Bakersfield.

Stay tuned for more information on CCS’ planned move into the building at 1731 Chester Avenue.

On Sept. 28, 72-year-old Nancy Joyce Garrett was driving her vehicle at the intersection of North Chester Avenue and China Grade Loop in Oildale when she was struck and killed by a Kern County Sheriff’s Department patrol vehicle. Garrett’s family has retained the Bakersfield personal injury law firm Chain | Cohn | Stiles.

Below is the news release sent by CCS to local media, followed by the subsequent various news coverage:

Bakersfield, Calif. (Oct. 1, 2014) – By all accounts, Nancy Joyce Garrett was a friendly neighbor, a caregiver for our community, an active blogger, and most importantly, the pillar of her family. Nancy, 72, had been a drug and alcohol counselor for the Kern County Mental Health Department, and had also volunteered her time as a substance abuse counselor for STEPS, a local nonprofit that provide DUI awareness services.

Nancy passed away early Sunday morning when Kern County Sheriff’s Deputy Nicholas Clerico collided with the vehicle she was driving at the intersection of North Chester Avenue and China Grade Loop in Oildale. She had just returned to Bakersfield from a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game she attended with her family and friends.

Nancy leaves behind a son, Mark, and a daughter, Deborah, along with grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Mark McGowan, her son, stated: “We are all devastated. My mother was the most loving woman that you could ever meet. To see her go like this, under such tragic circumstances, breaks our heart. We hope that with time the truth is revealed and that future tragedies like this never happen again. In the meantime, the family requests that the media and members of the public respect our privacy out of deference to my mother.”

The California Highway Patrol’s MAIT Team is currently conducting an investigation of the collision.

Partner Matthew C. Clark added: “What we know at this time is that Nancy Joyce Garrett was a wonderful human being who had devoted her life to giving back to the community. Our hope and expectation is that the CHP will conduct a thorough investigation of this collision. We will not rush to any conclusions in the meantime, and we ask that the public do the same. But we promise to get to the bottom of what happened, and of course, as we learn more about the collision, we will share that information with the public.”

CHAIN | COHN | STILES is Kern County’s leading plaintiffs’ personal injury law firm, voted Bakersfield’s “Best Law Firm” in The Bakersfield Californian’s Readers Choice Poll the last two years in a row. Our Bakersfield personal injury attorneys have represented clients from throughout the San Joaquin Valley and California for 80 years. We concentrate our efforts on protecting the rights of individuals who have been seriously injured due to the negligent, reckless or intentional conduct of another. If you have been injured due to the fault of another, you have the right to hold that person or entity accountable, no matter how rich or powerful that person or entity may be. At Chain | Cohn | Stiles, we pride ourselves on having the reputation and resources necessary to overcome the most difficult challenges while achieving the best possible results for our clients.

California Highway Patrol will host its fifth “Tips for CHiPs” luncheon fundraiser on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at Outback Steahouse in Bakersfield, and the personal injury law firm Chain | Cohn | Stiles is joining the cause as a sponsor.

The fundraiser supports the California Association of Highway Patrolmen Widows and Orphans Trust Fund, which goes toward to families when a loved one is killed in or off the line of duty. The fundraiser began in 2010 after the death of beloved CHP officer Mark Ehly.

KERO Channel 23 last year highlighted the family of 35-year-old Curtis Michael Friebel last year, who lost his battle with colon cancer in August 2013. He worked for the CHP for more than 12 years, and left behind three children to raise. His wife told the news station that the support had been crucial for her.

You can join the Bakersfield personal injury law firm Chain | Cohn | Stiles this year to surpass that total. For $25, diners can chose from a menu of steak, chicken or salmon served with bread, bloomin’ onion, salad, vegetables, mashed potatoes and dessert. The lunch will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

To join Chain | Cohn | Stiles as a sponsor, or for more information on the event, call Paul Yanez at 661-205-2980 or Shannon Ehly at 661-428-0335.

The trust fund is administered by the California Association of Highway Patrolmen, a nonprofit that represents about 11,000 active and retired California Highway Patrol officers. The group is dedicated to assisting families of CHP officers.

For pictures and videos from recent years’ events, see the media coverage below:

* NOTICE: Making a false or fraudulent Workers’ Compensation claim is a felony subject to up to 5 years in a prison or a fine of up to $150,000 or double the values of the fraud, whichever is greater, or by both imprisonment and fine.

UPDATE: Several local media outlets have also made mention of the upcoming Walk/Run Like MADD. See the coverage below.

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The September issue of Bakersfield Life Magazine was unveiled on Saturday, and included in the Saturday edition of The Bakersfield Californian. The magazine featured an advertisement for the upcoming Walk Like MADD — sponsored by the Bakersfield personal injury law firm Chain | Cohn | Stiles, and also included an article on the significance of Bakersfield’s first-ever 5K MADD walk and run.

The article and ad’s messages were even more important following this tragic weekend’s DUI-related crash. Read more about the fatal crash below.

The “Walk/Run Like MADD” 5K is being brought to Bakersfield by Mothers Against Drunk Driving Kern County on Saturday, Sept. 20 at the Park at River Walk. It’s aimed to raise awareness of drinking and driving crashes in Kern County, to raise money to support local victims and their families, and to fight to end drinking and driving in Bakersfield.

Currently, more than 175 participants have raised $22,600 for the walk. and run. The event is also sponsored by various community partners. They are Dignity Health, Chain | Cohn | Stiles, Bakersfield Police Officers Association, Kern County Prosecutors Association, Ira Cohn of USB Financial, Comprehensive Blood & Cancer Center, Kern County Bar Association and Aum Physical Therapy.

There is still time to sign up to participate, donate, volunteer or sponsor in the Walk/Run Like MADD. For more information, go to Bakersfield’s MADD website here.

And you can read more about the upcoming event — including stories of victims taking part in the 5K — by clicking here.

Tragic weekend

The MADD ad, article and messages in the magazine were featured during a tragic weekend involving yet another fatal crash in Kern County involving alcohol.

Two people were killed in a fiery crash early Saturday morning when a suspected drunken driver slammed into the back of their car on Rosedale Highway, according to media reports. A third person was pulled from the burning car by passersby near the scene of the crash. That person suffered serious burn injuries and was taken to a hospital, media reported. The suspected drunken driver, 29-year-old Dontrell Collins, was booked on suspicion of felony drunken driving resulting in injury or death and vehicular manslaughter, police reported.

Collins, in a jailhouse interview with KERO Channel-23, said he didn’t remember anything from the night. Family members decried Collins for drinking and driving. Read the various media coverage of the incident below:

Bakersfield Life Magazine featured an article about the walk and shared the stories of families of victims of drunken driving crashes. You can read the article here.

Kern County Deputy District Attorney David Wolf and Chain | Cohn | Stiles marketing director Jorge Barrientos — both part of the MADD walk planning committee — joined Sheri Ortiz on The Groove, 99.3, KKBB. Listen to the spot here.

Eyewitness News (KBAK and KBFX, Channels 29 and 58) recently ran a story on the event following a DUI-related fatal Labor Day crash. The spot featured Mothers Against Drunk Driving Kern County victim advocate Carla Pearson. You can watch that here.

Bakersfield College recently celebrated its 100-year anniversary. The Bakersfield personal injury law firm Chain | Cohn | Stiles this year is celebrating 80 years.

For the two local institutions, a partnership is only natural. The two Bakersfield staples are partnering this year to help bring all Bakersfield College “Renegades” football games to the people of Kern County.

The BC and Chain | Cohn | Stiles partnership is made possible because of another partnership between Bakersfield staples — BC and The Bakersfield Californian. The local newspaper, its affiliated publication and digital products (together called TBC Media) are partnering to bring Renegades football games in video to Bakersfield.com for the 2014 season.

For the first time, all 10 of Bakersfield College’s 2014 football games will be live streamed in video on Bakersfield.com and GoGades.com, where video highlights from the games will also be available for instant viewing.

Chain | Cohn | Stiles for the 2014-15 season has signed on to sponsor the Renegade football team. You’ll see local law firm in the football game programs distributed at each game (the picture above is from the full-page ad that will be highlighted in the football program — see it full screen here). You’ll see the newest commercials from the law firm airing during the live streamed football games. And you’ll also hear the law firm’s radio commercials when the games are broadcast on Newstalk KERN 1180 AM.

You can watch all of the law firm’s latest commercials by visiting a previous Blogging For Justice post HERE.

To listen to our two radio commercials that will air on KERN 1180, click the links below:

For Chain | Cohn | Stiles, the partnership is also natural because the law firm’s founder Morris Chain is credited for inventing the name “Renegades” for Bakersfield College. Chain played BC football for three years himself. Recently, the law firm accepted the “100 Stars Award” on Chain’s behalf (he died in 1977), awarded to 100 alumni, retirees and community members who had a great impact on Bakersfield College. See a previous blog post about this HERE.

The Renegades start their 2014 season at 6 p.m. Sept. 6 on road at Riverside City College. Bakersfield College returns to Memorial Stadium the following week, Sept. 13, for a 6 p.m. game against Golden West. Each game webcast will feature pre-game and post-game show.

To watch the games online, go to Bakersfield.com. TBC Media will build a section where all of the highlights, full games and other content will be stored for on-demand viewing.

UPDATE: Arrests have been made in this case. See the news stories below for more information.

Russell Lester and Bryan Walls were attending a party on Fourth of July in west Bakersfield, celebrating our nation’s independence and wedding reception. By the end of the night, they were in local hospitals.

The two arrived at the party where party-goers were allegedly setting off illegal fireworks and explosives. Lester and Walls were asked to hold the balloons while they were filled with acetylene gas, which is very unstable, highly flammable gas. The balloons were being taped to a pole when they exploded. It’s possible static electricity ignited them.

Four people were severely injured in the blast, including Lester and Walls. The two suffered burns to their face, chest and arms. Lester lost all the hearing in his right ear and partial hearing in his left ear, and lost peripheral vision in his left eye. Walls suffered hearing loss, too, and Lester’s burns were so severe that he was taken to a Fresno burn center. Others were taken to San Joaquin Community Hospital‘s Grossman Burn Center.

The incident has been covered by local media in recent days. The case was publicly revealed by KERO Channel-23 News on Aug. 4, a month after the actual accident.

Jim Trino, who allegedly was igniting the bombs, told KERO he was celebrating his wedding reception that night. He told KERO that he had been setting off legal and illegal fireworks for more than 30 years, including the acetylene bomb which he pumped the gas into balloons, hung on a metal pole in the middle of a field, and ignited.

The Bakersfield Californian also covered the case, including an article by Californian columnist Lois Henry, who argues that local safety agencies failed to inform the public properly about the incident. She calls it “a communications and training failure, something that can only be fixed from the top down.”

The personal injury lawyers at Chain | Cohn | Stiles are major proponents of fireworks safety and providing burn victims with world-class care. Go HERE for tips on celebrating the Fourth of July safely. And read about our $200,000 donation to the Grossman Burn Center at San Joaquin Community Hospital HERE.

Chain | Cohn | Stiles

Standing for Justice

If you need immediate legal assistance, call (661) 323-4000 or fill out the "Contact Us" form below. For general inquiries about this blog or otherwise, please contact the Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Jorge Barrientos, at jbarrientos@chainlaw.com

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*NOTICE: Making a false or fraudulent Workers’ Compensation claim is a felony subject to up to 5 years in a prison or a fine of up to $150,000 or double the value of the fraud, whichever is greater, or by both imprisonment and fine.